Many students are interested in internships as part of their undergraduate experience. Internships provide hands-on experience for students interested in public affairs, government, and non-profit organizations. The skills and knowledge gained from internships can be beneficial to advancing academic and professional goals.

Internships are not part of the curriculum for the political science major and are not required; nonetheless, we encourage students to participate in at least one internship during their undergraduate career, either during the summer or part-time during the academic year. Although most internships do not receive undergraduate course credit and they are generally unpaid, the Department is able to offer a few, limited options for receiving credit or funding for internships.

Course Credit for Internships.  

Students can earn credit for spending a semester in Washington, D.C. via the Washington Center Program.

Students can earn 3.0 hours of credit by combining an internship with POSC 395 Independent Study. The student must write a paper and do additional academic work that makes the internship part of a reflective learning experience. Students must find their own internships and identify a faculty member who is willing to supervise the independent study. This must be done prior to the internship. Students are advised to contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies for further information about this option.

Financial Support for Internships.

Many students would like to do an internship in the summer, but feel they cannot do so because they need to earn money for the school year, or because they cannot afford to live away from home. The Department is able to help some of those students through the Wellman Hill Internship Grants Competition, which is open to all declared majors.

Information on other opportunities for financial support for on and off campus internships is available via the Undergraduate Research Office in the Division of Student Affairs.

Searching for an Internship. 

The Career Center in the Division of Student Affairs offers many resources for searching for internships.